to think that the keeping of dogs for domestic purposes should be banned.

[AKMD]

That?s it really. I am sick to death of having to watch my feet to make sure I don?t accidentally tread in dog muck left to steam by some selfish, lazy dog owner. I resent not being able to take 2yo DS to the park directly opposite my house because it?s used as a dog exercise ground and you can?t play toddler football without the ball and toddler falling into said dog muck. I hate that every time we go to the slightly nicer park there?s at least one dog without a lead who decides to come and sniff DS and that while he backs away the owner stands there laughing that ?he?s only being friendly?. I loathe and detest the particularly ?friendly? dogs who lick DS while I drag him away, probably just after eating another dog?s poo or a dead rat or some other disgusting thing they just found. I have personally seen the scars left on a young child by a ?friendly? dog turning savage and ripping the toddler?s cheek off. The problem of people getting bored of their dogs and dumping them in rescue centres is sickening. The stories of dogs being bred to fight, being neglected, being bred for ?beauty? despite the ?beautiful? characteristics causing the animals pain and suffering are beyond belief.

IMO domestic dog owners as a general class have proved that they are irresponsible and selfish. Fear of treading in dog poo on a pavement or in a park is common to everyone and I am so, so sick of people blaming it on a tiny minority. Domestic dog owners can?t be trusted to be responsible so they shouldn?t have them, end of. People should only be allowed to keep dogs for working purposes ? guide dogs, sniffer dogs, police dogs, sheep dogs etc. - if they are licensed.

AIBU?

...yes, but the topic moved on and many of op's point were very valid.
something needs to be done.
but what? it needs to be effective and cheap and no animal should suffer.

The subject moved on I agree but not in the context of which it was posted. The op said that dogs should be banned and euthanised. Pretty extreme when most of us are responsible dog owners as well as parents.

"something needs to be done.
but what? it needs to be effective and cheap and no animal should suffer."

Oh, killing a healthy creature isn't making it suffer, oh no. I trust you have the same POV about inconvenient elderly parents and grandparents, Mousy? So long as they don't suffer of course.

And FYI dogs do not spend lengthy times in pounds. Pounds are profit making concerns and not animal welfare institutions. A dog will make money for the pound for a maximum of 7 days, after which he becomes their responsibility to feed and care for or they can kill him if they prefer. Hence dogs rarely spend long in pounds.

I really like dogs, although I do not own one. I have no issue with a person owning a dog, particularly as I agree they can make fabulous additions to families and comfort to kids.

But, the issue of dog mess where I live has reached ridiculous levels and as the OP puts it you do have to walk looking down to avoid stepping in it.

I live near to a place that has been created as a walking/cycling space. It is used by many people, including dog walkers. It is literally festooned with crap. I have to weave through it when I run. No way could you take a push chair there or kids on bikes. It is a year old and has umpteen poo bins which I can attest are emptied daily. I see dogs crap and the owner pretend they couldn't see where so don't collect it. I have been known to walk them to the steaming, stinking spot.

I live in a nice part of our town. All along the route the children of several schools take the pavement is studded with dog mess. Also all along the route on walls and ends of driveways are little plastic bags filled with dog mess that has been picked up and deposited by the owner because they just cannot be arsed to take it home.

There is a park near us, beautiful green space/playground, boating lake where the kids cannot play on the massive expanse of grass because it's peppered with dog mess.

At Tankerton a few weeks ago on a sunny, Sunday afternoon DS age 4 was playing on the beach rolling his fire engine along the breaker. We had to leave in a hurry as the mud on the breaker was in fact a pile of dog mess.

A friend routinely has a dog crap at the end of her drive, as she pulls back it catches in her gyres and gets smeared right across the footpath. She has two small DC and lives opposite a junior school.

Many, many dog owners are responsible, but many, many are not. It cannot conceivably be just a minority, as a minority cannot fill a park.

I am urging my council to set up a website where you can send photos if the dog walker (note not the animal, it's doing what animals do). The owners should have their fisog published so their neighbours know it's them allowing their open spaces to become uninhabitable.

In the meantime I simply don't see why dogs cannot be on leads, and the owners fined up the ying yang on the spot if they don't pick up. With the sheer weight of shit involved it would be a self-funding exercise.

Crikey that was long, well done if you stayed with me

I think I did answer the question when I said that the type of people who would break a law on getting their dog licensed and microchipped are not fit people to take care of their dog properly.

Children are a completely different scenario to dogs. Children grow up and have responsibility for their own lives. Dogs will always need a responsible person to take care of them and there aren't enough responsible people willing and able to look after the dogs who are already in need of a home, so what do you do with them? Export them?

"I think I did answer the question when I said that the type of people who would break a law on getting their dog licensed and microchipped are not fit people to take care of their dog properly."

AKMD, you didn't answer the question which was put to you, you extrapolated. Sorry, but there it is.

What evidence or first hand experience of multiples of dog owners do you have upon which to base that claim anyway?

What evidence or first hand experience of multiples of dog owners do you have upon which to base that claim anyway?

PILES AND PILES OF DOG POO IN PUBLIC PLACES

Mousy, dogshit in public places and "dogs being abused or neglected by there owners", to quote the OP, are two completely different issues. There is no evidence to support any connection. None. AK is saying that a dog should be killed on the basis of "abuse or neglect" because the owner does not pick up his shit. Your headbanging is misplaced.

And Mousy, I asked this before but you didn't answer, do you know much about the rescue system? Have you ever been behind the scenes of any?

What a stupid thought!!

My mum told me the other day that her dog was the only thing that had kept her going through the bad times, she loved the fact he always loved her unconditionally and trusted her despite her faults. (this sounds bad as I'm her daughter and should be something to keep her going but there you go...)

Have you ever had a dog? I can't help but feel you can't possibly have loved an animal as I love mine. Mine are part of the family, period.

dogs probably save the NHS millions - salve for depression, heart disease, reduced levels of allergies (in children that grow up with them) - dog owners live longer and stay fitter...

and dont forget Pets as Therapy

The bunch of about 15 teenagers that were hanging about being noisy and just a bit pain in the arsey all disappeared about an hour ago to walk my dog. DD1 and DD2 came in and asked to walk the dog.

Put some poo bags in their pockets.

Off they all went.

Aggro for neighbours avoided. Dog walked.

They're just back and they've all gone in to go to bed.

I really don't see what is bad about that.

Considering a dog just won £500,000 on BGT, I don't think you'll get a lot of popular support for banning dogs... If you ban them, who will dance for the queen?

Just thinking that !

Good old Pudsey - voted by the public !

Well is it only the area where I live that seems to balance kids and dogs quite well?

We have parks that have large areas with no dog zones, we have beaches that between May and Oct dogs are not allowed.

This to me is the sensible solution, dog free zones.

I have a dog and he brings so much pleasure to my life.

You have irresponsible people in all walks of life but we have to do our best to live in harmony together.

I've just been to a country show today which focussed mainly on dogs, most of the visitors had a dog, and yet I didn't see one pile of poo in the whole area so that kind of ruins the OP's idea that the majority of dog owners are irresponsible.

I find this idea of banning domestic dogs strange on so many levels.

and I'm so glad that Pudsey won!!

crash so what do you propose, then?

I said so in my post, fine the hell out of people doing it.

It might be thought 'inhuman' to suggest that impounded dogs who cannot be rehomed are destroyed, but I don't agree. What is the alternative? Don't take away dogs who are being mistreated by their owners, because any kind of life for them is better than none? That is not only accepting animal cruelty, it is perpetuating it as the poor creatures breed. Take away dogs and keep them in pounds until they die? Apart from the fact that there's no space to do that, what a horrible, cruel life for the dog.

Yes but you suggest rehoming them simply because their owners don't pick up their poo. What a pile of shit you are! < pun intended >

I'd sooner ban drug dealers, drug users, teenagers, drinkers, rubbish droppers who hang around my estate than dogs.

The problem you have is irresponsible dog owners who don't pick their dogs mess up.

Actually another problem round my way is horse shit. Now dog poo, as horrible as it is - can be stepped over. Horse poo on pavements however covers most of the pavement!

My dogs are pet therapy qualified. My cats are indoor. All are microchipped including my daughters parrots.

Irresponsible pet owners should be fined BUT

Please let me euthanise pet/ animal haters and feed them to the wolves.

EdlessAllenPoe, you are very, very right.

I am fitter, slimmer, my joint problems have eased dramatically and I am conquering my ongoing depression.

The reason? I got a puppy from the local rescue a year ago. The first few months nearly finished me off completely, but from the day she was able, we have walked at least 2 miles a day (many days it's up to 5 miles), before the rest of the family are even awake. In the winter I did with head torch (and flashing collar for the dog, so I could see when she stopped to poo!) Then another walk in the evening with the family.

I haven't been to the doctor in that year.

I pick up her poo.

All round win I think.

OP Dogs are (hu)mans best friend, you must not be from the human race.

OP, I think you're overlooking the fact that your average domestic dog IS providing a service to it's owners. As EdlessAllenPoe pointed out, the physical and mental health benefits of dog ownershop have been demonstrated in numerous studies. Which I may have to go and look up now as I'm confined to the sofa with flu and bored shitless.

It would be helpful if there were actually sufficient dog poo bins around. that may help the problem more than ideas like DNA testing

Soup - that's very true. The ones in our park aren't emptied enough and they were over-flowing this morning. Which is gross.